Jade Bird, a 33-year-old from Abergele, North Wales, fell seriously ill at Tenerife airport while waiting to fly home. She complained of a headache and earache at the airport, symptoms that quickly escalated into a medical emergency. A scan at the hospital revealed an infection on Jade Bird's brain, which progressed into meningitis, a serious inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. As a result, Jade Bird was placed in an induced coma on a ventilator to stabilize her condition and support her breathing. This medical intervention is standard for severe meningitis cases to reduce brain swelling and prevent further complications.
Jade Bird's sister-in-law Victoria Bird and her mother Janine flew to Tenerife to be with her, providing emotional support during this critical time. The family has set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds for medical evacuation and expenses, as the cost of a medical evacuation flight is quoted as between £50,000 and £100,000. So far, the GoFundMe has raised over £7,500, but this falls far short of the estimated evacuation costs, highlighting the financial strain on the family.
Late Wednesday night around 9pm I got a devastating phone call of my sisters in-law's boyfriend saying my sister had taken ill and was extremely poorly all whilst they are on holiday in Tenerife. She was in the airport waiting to come home complaining of a headache and earache to the point they sent her in an ambulance to the nearest hospital where they have done a brain scan and found that she has an infection on her brain. From then they have placed her in an induced coma on a ventilator to try and rest her brain.
Jade Bird is a carer for vulnerable adults and a single mother of a 6-year-old daughter named Skyla, adding to the urgency of her situation as her family navigates care arrangements back home. Despite having appropriate travel insurance, the family faces logistical hurdles, including a language barrier and receiving updates only once a day in the hospital, which complicates communication and planning.
There is concern about potential seizures, epilepsy, memory loss, or paralysis due to the meningitis, but the full extent of these complications is not yet known, leaving her prognosis uncertain. The development of meningitis from a brain infection represents a severe medical escalation that can lead to long-term neurological damage if not managed promptly. The family faces emotional and practical struggles, balancing hope with the harsh realities of medical and financial challenges.
Myself and her mum flew out first thing Thursday morning when obviously the devastating sight of her was heartbreaking, the infection on the brain has now lead to meningitis. We are absolutely heartbroken and it is so hard being in another country with the language barrier.
The long-term health risks and financial burden remain uncertain, as recovery from meningitis can vary widely depending on the severity and type of infection. The specific type of meningitis, its exact cause, and the recovery timeline are unknown, making it difficult for doctors to predict outcomes. Additionally, insurance coverage issues and hospital details are unclear, adding to the family's stress as they seek to bring Jade Bird back to the UK for continued care.
She flew out to Tenerife with her boyfriend for a holiday. While they were there, she was complaining of earache, then she started being sick. When they got to the airport, she was unable to communicate and she was screaming in pain, so they took her to the hospital. When they got there, they did a CT scan and found she had an infection on her brain, so they transferred her to an ICU in the north of Tenerife, put her on a ventilator, and she's been there ever since.
They then found out that it's turned into meningitis, and she's been quite heavily sedated the last two or three days. There was concern of seizures and epilepsy, memory loss, paralysis - we still don't know the full extent of all this right now, until she wakes up completely.
Myself and her mum flew out the following morning after we found out. At some point, me and her mum are going to get to a stage where we can't afford to stay here, but how do we go home? The communication just isn't there - there's a language barrier and we only get updates once a day. It's not something we can even comprehend right now.
It's been really stressful. It's been absolutely heartbreaking telling her daughter that she's unable to see mummy because she's in the hospital. We struggle every day and we just hope every day when we walk in to see her that she's a bit more alert.